Improvement in coal-boxes



UNITED, STATES JOHN r onsrnn, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN COAL-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,837, dated January 19,1875; application filed December 26, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN FORSTER, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Goal-Box; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a representation of a vertical longitudinal section of my coalbox. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same.

This invention has relation to coal-boxes, which are designed to hold a supply of fuel ready for use in parlors or other rooms of a house.

The object of the invention is to provide a receptacle for coal, which, while effectually preventing the escape of dust into the room, will yet allow a shovel full of coal to be at all times obtainable for replenishing the fire.

To this end the nature of the invention consists in an inclined floor, arranged in a close box, so as to divide it into two chain bers, which communicate with each other by means of an aperture in the lower part of the said floor, whereby coal placed in the upper chamber is fed through the apertures in its floor into the chamber below as a shovel full is removed therefrom, whereby a constant and equal supply of coal is at all times in the lower chamber ready to be used, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

In the annexed drawings, A designates a preferably-rectangular box, having a closelyfitting' hinged lid, a, and a downwardly-inclining floor, a, as shown in Fig. 1. It is also provided with a sliding door, 1), closing an aperture in its lower front part, for a purpose hereinafter more fully explained.

This box, which may be of iron of wood, or of any other suitable material, and of any desired degree of ornamentation, is provided with a dividing-diaphragm, .13, arranged in a sharp inclination therein, and extending from side to side, and from end to end, of the said box, thereby forming two chambers, O

and D, one above the other, between which communication is had by means of an aperture, a, cut through the lower edge of the said diaphragm at or near the center of its width, as shown in Fig. 1.

When coal is put into the upper chamber, C, it will be directed downward by the inclination of diaphragm B, and will escapethrough aperture 0 into chamber B, when, owing to the inclination of the floor b, it will be prevented from spreading to the front,

and will be maintained in a heap, as shown in' Fig. 1. If a shovel be now introduced through the door, and when charged be withdrawn, it will bear with it a quantity of coal, which will be immediately replaced by a fresh supply falling through aperture 0 from chamber 0, thus at all times keeping a supply of coal in chamber D ready for replenishing a fire.

With a view to preventing the coal falling through aperture 0 from spreading laterally, whereby too large a quantity of the same would be received into chamber D, and the shovel receive too great a charge, causing the excess to fall upon the floor, I have made use of two partitions, E and F, one arrangediat each side of doora, and extending from front to rear, and from diaphragm to floor of the box, whereby a passage, 1?, is formed, in the rear end of which the coal is loosely heaped, so that'when a shovel is thrust rearwardly through it into the said coal-heap, it shall gather a full charge, but not an excess, thereby effectually preventing any portion of its load from falling upon and injuring a carpet.

It will be seen from the above description that the inclined diaphragm is intended to cause a concentration of the coal at its lower edge, whence it falls through aperture 0 into passage P, where it forms a small heap, owing to its being prevented from spreading by partitions D and E, and by floor b.

The shovel which I design to use, in connection with my improved coal-box,is of the following shape, to wit: The bottom is flat, and its sides and end are vertical thereto, andpreferably of equal height, the handle being in the same planewith the bottom, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the inclined floor a of a coal-box, of the Walls F and E, forming passage P, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The inclined diaphragm B, having an aperture, 0, in combination with the sliding door b and walls E F, substanially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN FORSTER.

Witnesses:

LUDWIG SEMLER, J r., JOHN FUoHs. 

